Hornby Island Blues Society

Every May a group of renowned blues and roots artists gather on Hornby for a week of workshops and evening concerts. The Blues Week features small, intimate classes that create great environments to learn all aspects of the blues. Students of all levels, from beginners to expert players will appreciate the positive and creative atmosphere that is everywhere during Blues Week.

The Blues Society also hosts shows throughout the year. Check out their website for more details. www.hornby-blues.bc.ca/

The Hornby Festival

July 30th to August 7th 2010

The Hornby Festival is the highlight of summer for many, whether it is dancing under the stars down at Olsen Farm or being enthralled by a string quartet at the community hall. With an eclectic programme of world renowned and innovative artists from genres such as world beat, alt-traditional, classical or jazz, there is definitely something for everyone.

The Festival is hosting a Fall/Spring concert series for 2009/10. Come check out the one of the spring shows. William Chapman Nyaho performs some of his classical repertoire on Friday, Apr. 2nd and Louise Rose plays jazz, blues, and gospel standards on Sunday, May 23.

See you there!

Visit the Festival's website at www.hornbyfestival.bc.ca.

The Marc Atkinson Trio

Marc Atkinson is one of Canada's finest JUNO-nominated, Western Canadian award-winning musicians. He is the leader and composer of the internationally renowned Marc Atkinson Trio (and co-founder, composer and performer in the acclaimed, The Bills). The music of this virtuosic group is melodically captivating, sensually charged and ferociously, technically awe-inspiring.

Embracing a lifetime of musical influences, Marc and the Trio have just released their fourth CD, The Marc Atkinson Trio IV. The music is inspired by Marc's one-year-old son, Arlo Walker, and reflects the island life of a toddler from the raucous to the touching. The new CD sports compositions that are punchy, driving and rhythmically inventive with titles such as Vorizo, The Toddler, Walker and Bright-Eyed Waltz.

The Trio, formed in 2000, has toured North America, England and Europe and has received standing ovations everywhere they perform from the Montreal Jazz Festival to the Vancouver International Folk Festival to DjangoFest Northwest. Marc is joined in the Trio by bassist Joey Smith (formerly with the Glen Miller Orchestra), and most recently on rhythm guitar by Hornby's very own talent Reuben Wier. Reuben has now been on several tours with the Trio from Northern BC down to southern California and will be joining the Trio on much of their future touring.

Listen to a sample of Vorizo from The Marc Atkinson Trio IV.

Visit marcatkinson.com to hear more, learn more and find out where you can see the Trio on tour.

Melisa Devost

Melisa Devost is a singer/songwriter whose musical style varies from blues-tinged heaviness to heartfelt non-denominational gospel to quirky folk-pop. She writes introspective and observant songs about life patterns and choices, love or lack of, and the refinements of what it means to be human on this planet. Combining fingerstyle guitar, drawing influences mainly from country blues and folk music, with a voice that has been described as "powerful, beautiful and dynamic," Melisa weaves her tales of woe and whoa! into a show that is engaging and emotionally stirring.

Melisa is currently hanging her hat in Vancouver where she teaches music and collaborates on various other musical projects with many talented Vancouver artists (but her heart is never far from Hornby). Spring 2009 marks the release of her highly anticipated third record "A Sudden Shift of Existing Light." It wouldn't be summer without a chance to see Melisa perform at least once, and this year she graces the stage at the Hornby Island Festival on August 3rd, down at the Olsen Farm, as well as making appearances at the Artswells Festival in Wells B.C. and the Nanaimo Blues Festival.

Listen to 'In This Town' off of Melisa's latest album 'A Sudden Shift of Existing Light'.

Links:
www.melisadevost.com
www.myspace.com/melisadevost

Contact: minodevo@gmail.com.